Valve mechanism.



E. S. MATTHEWS.

VALVE MECHANISM;

APPLICATION FILED 0013.22, 1908.

1,095,508, Patented May 5, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l. 4.

COLUMBIA P \NOGRAPH 120.. WASHINGTON. D c.

E. S. MATTHEWS.

VALVE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED 00122, 1908 Patented May 5, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN S. MATTI-TEWS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

VALVE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1914.

Application filed October 22,1908. Serial No. 458,955.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. MATTHEWS, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Valve Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to valve mechanism adapted for use in connection with hydraulic elevators, and one of its objects is the provision of improved means for preventing the elevator car from bounding or leaving the water when the main valve is closed very quickly as the car rises. This object is attained by the use of check valve mechanism located within the main valve casing for permitting a back flow of fluid from the discharge pipe when the sudden cutting off of the supply reduces the pressure in the plunger cylinder below a predetermined limit.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to prevent excessive pressure in the plunger cylinder, and a too sudden stoppage of the car when the exhaust port is quickly closed during the rapid descent of the car.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel combinations of elements being set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a part sectional elevation of valve mechanism to which my invention is applied, the cover plate of the main valve being removed to show the invention more clearly; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the main valve; Fig. 4c is a section on the line 14 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a general View of a hydraulic elevator system to which the invention is applied; and Fig. 6 is a detailed view of one of the check valves.

In order to illustrate the invention, I have shown in Fig. 5 a general view of a hydraulic elevator system in which the invention is used. The elevator car O is carried by a plunger B which works up and down in the cylinder A, the latter being connected through the to-and-from pipe 11 and main valve M to the fluid pressure supply and exhaust. An automatic stop-valve W which may be of any suitable construction, as, for example, that shown in the patent to Venn,

No. 685,231, dated October 22, 1901, is preferably employed to automatically cut off the fluid supply and exhaust when the car reaches its limits of travel in case the main valve is not operated.

The main valve apparatus M comprises an inner lining divided into two cylindrical sections 1 and 2 which are provided with perforations forming ports 3 and 4:. These ports communicate respectively with the supply pipe 5 and the exhaust pipe 6. The ad acent ends of the sectionsl and. 2 are separated to establish communication between the interior of said sections and the to-and-from pipe 11.

One side of the main valve casing is enlarged to form chambers 7 and 8 which open directly into the supply pipe 5 and the to and-from pipe 11, respectively. These chambers are in the nature of by-passes around the valves 22 and 21, respectively. A partition 9 separates these chambers from each other, and a partition 10 separates the chamher 8 from the exhaust port 6. The partitions 9 and 10 are provided with a plurality of ports 12 and 12, respectively, normally closed by check valves 13 and 13 yieldingly held seated by the springs 14: and 14. A removable cover plate 15 permits access to the valve chambers 7 and 8 and the check valves.

Fig. 6 shows one of the check valves 13 on an enlarged scale. The spring 14: bears at one end against the valve 13 and at its opposite end against the head of an adjusting pin 50. The stem of this pin is screwthreaded and adjustable in a web 51 which may be integral with the partition wall 9. To adjust the pin 50 the pressure of the valve against its side may be varied as desired. The size and strength of the springs for the several valves 13 may be graduated, or the springs adjusted to different degrees of tension, for purposes hereinafter set forth. The valves 13 may be identical in construction with the valves 13 and may be similarly graduated.

The main valve is provided at one end with a. motor cylinder 16 closed at its outer end with a head 17, and the other end of the main valve has a head 18 and stufling box 19 through which the valve stem 20 passes. Mounted on the valve stem 20 are the controlling pistons or valves 21 and 22 and the motor piston 23, the latter having preferably twice the area of each of the pistons 21 and 22.

The pilot valve P comprises a casing 2i having heads 25 and 26, and is provided wit-h a supply port 27 and exhaust ports 28 and 29. The valve stem 30 carries the controlling piston or valve 31 and the balancing piston A supply passage 33 leads from the pilot valve to the-rear end of the motor cylinder 16. In order to make the pilot valve interchangeable, it is detachably mounted and carried on the main valve casing. The pilot valve casing 24 and the motor cylinder casing are provided with faced surfaces which can be bolted together as at 34 in such manner that the respective parts of the passage 33 will register.

lvlounted on the head 18 are a pair of arms 42 carrying bearings 4-3 in which is mounted a yoke shaft 1 1. The arms 41-5 of the yoke have bearings in which an arm or lever 4-7 is pivoted intermediate its ends at. 46. The upper end of the lever 17 is pivoted at 48 to the pilot valve stem 30, and the lower end is pivoted to the main valve stem 20 at 19. The lever il? is preferably constructed in two telescoping sections t? and 17" so as to permit the variation in the length of the lever required for different positions of the main and pilot valve stems, without loose pivot connections. The. shaft at is rocked to actuate the pilot valve by means of an operating lever 35 to which the con troller ropes 36 or other connections are attached. As shown in Fig. 5, one of these ropes extends vertically through or by the car in position to be operated by the controller 3'? in a well known manner to control the movements of the car.

The operation of the invention will be understood from the following description. The valve mechanism is shown with the various parts in the positions assumed when the elevator ear is at rest, communication between the plunger cylinder 11 and the supply and exhaust being cut off by the valves 22 and 21, respectively. The valve 31 also cuts oif communication with the motor cylinder 16 by way of the passage 33 and prevents any movement of the main valve pistons. To start the car do-.vnwardly the controlling lever on the car is moved to the right (Fig. to rotate the yoke shaft 1st and swing the lower end of the yoke out thereby swinging the lever 47 on its pivot 49 as a fulcrum. This movement of the lever 47 carries the piston rod 30 (Fig. 1) of the pilot valve to the right and connects the inlet 27 with the passage 33, so that pressure is supplied behind the motor piston 23. The pressure on the front of the piston 23 is partially balanced by the pressure behind the valve 22, so that the pressure behind the motor piston will move the piston rod 20 with the valves 21 and forward, and thereby open the port 1 and establish communication between the exhaust 6 and the to-and-from pipe 11. The car now moves down, the weight of the car and plunger forcing the water in the cylinder it out through the to-and-from pipe 11 and port 6 to the exhaust. As the main valve rod 20 moves forward, it swings the lever .47 about the pivot 46 as a fulcrum, and moves the pilot valve rod 30 back until. the valve 31 closes the passage 33 and the motor piston is brought to rest in a position tepending on the extent the shaft 14 has been rotated by the operating ropes.

To stop the car, the lever 37 is moved back to central position to rotate the shaft 4st back to its normal position and thereby move the pilot valve rod 30 and valve 31 to the left. This opens the passage 33 to the exhaust 29 so that the motor piston can operate to move the parts back to the position shown on the drawings and bring the car to rest. During the stopping of the car in its descent as just described, the check valves 13 remain seated, as they are at all times under the supply pressure and have no effect on the operation if the main valve is not moved too rapidly to its central position. If, however, the car is moving (lOWl1 wardly at a high speed and the main valve is closed quickly, the momentum of the car and plunger develops a back pressure in the plunger cylinder exceeding the supply pressure and causes the valves 13 to open and permit a flow of fluid back into the supply pipe. These valves therefore act as relief valves and serve to prevent the pressure in the plunger cylinder exceeding a predetermined limit. The pressure required to open the valves 13 will. depend on the strength of the springs 14, and by making the springs of the proper strength, or by regulating them by proper compression, the valves may be made to open at any desired pressure. so that they need not prevent the car being stopped as quickly as the limits of safety will permit. ithout the use of such relief valves, the car is compelled to come to rest substantially within the time the main valve is being closed, as the water in the cylinder is practically incompressible. if the car is descending rapidly and the valve is closed quickly, the sudden stopping of the car is not only disagreeable to passengers, but the enormous pressure produced in the plunger cylinder may prove disastrous. A number of check valves 13 are preferably provided to permit the flow of as large a volume of fluid as may be required under any working conditions. In some instances T may so graduate the check valves that when the pressure tending to open them is large, more of them will be opened than when the pressure is small.

To start the car upwardly, the car lever 87 is moved to the left to swing the lower end of the yoke 15 to the left and move the valve 31 to the left so as to connect the motor cylinder to the exhaust port 29 of the pilot valve mechanism. The pressure in front of the motor piston 23 now operates to move the valve stem 20 and the valve 21 and 22 to the left, thereby connecting the plunger A with the pressure supply so that the car will be lifted. The movement of the main valve stem 20 to the left moves the lever 47 about the pivot 46 and brings the valve 31 back to central position to close the passage 33 with the valve 22 moved to the left a distance proportional to the extent of operation of the lever 37.

To stop the car, the lever 37 is moved back to center to swing the yoke back to a vertical position and move the valve 31 to the right. This opens the passage 33 to the supply and moves the motor piston 23 from its position in the left hand end of the cylinder to a central position, thereby cutting off the supply of fluid to the cylinder A and bringing the car to rest with the main valves 21 and 22 in their normal positions of rest.

If the main valve is closed quickly during the ascent of the car, the plunger has a tendency to bound or leave the water, thus causing on its return an injurious shock and jar to the apparatus and discomfort to the passengers. The check valves 13 are designed to prevent such action by permitting a back flow of fluid from the exhaust pipe to the plunger cylinder. It is evident that when the plunger tends to leave the water there is a tendency for a vacuum to form under the plunger, but this is immedi-, ately taken up by water flowing from the exhaust port 6 through the check valve ports 12 to the plunger cylinder. In other words, before the plunger can leave the water the pressure in the plunger cylinder will be reduced to zero, or below the pressure in the exhaust pipe, so that any upward movement of the plunger after the pressure supply is out 01f will be accompanied by a back flow of fluid from the exhaust through the ports 12 and the to-and-from pipe 11 into the cylinder A. The springs 14' not only serve to prevent a flow of fluid through the ports 1.2 into the exhaust, but also prevent a flow in the opposite direction until the pressure in the plunger cylinder is materially below that of the exhaust. By making these springs strong enough, or by properly regulating their compression, they will effect a substantial retarding or braking action on the car and plunger. The number and size of the ports 12 may be varied as desired, but should always be sufficient to allow the back flow of fluid to keep up, with the plunger.

An important feature of the present invention is the arrangement of the valves 13 and 13' within the main valve casing, thereby avoiding the use of additional pipes and valves between the plunger cylinder and the exhaust.

It will be understood that the present invention is adapted for use with various forms of hydraulic apparatus, elevator mechanism, and valve mechanism other than that herein shown, and also that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts might be made by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention. I wish therefore not to be limited to the exactconstruction herein disclosed.

lVhatI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In valve apparatus, the combination with a valve casing, of a chamber formed. 1

in the valve casing and adapted to be connected with the supply and exhaust, openings between said chamber and the exhaust port, a valve controlling the flow through one of said openings, and a plurality of graduated check valves preventing flow from said chamber to the exhaust through the other opening, but permitting flow in the reverse direction.

2. In valve apparatus, the combination with a valve chamber having intake and outlet openings, of a valve controlling the normal flow of fluitl between said openings, and a plurality of graduated check valves permitting a reversal in the direction of flow.

3. In valve apparatus, the combination with a plurality of chambers, of communicating passages or ports therebetween, and a plurality of valves controlling said passages or ports and operable under diflerent fluid pressures to open said communicating passages or ports.

4. In valve apparatus, the combination with a valve chamber having intake and outlet openings, of a valve controlling the normal flow of fluid between said openings, a plurality of graduated check valves operableat different pressures in the direction to permit a flow of fluid from the outlet opening toward the intake opening.

5. In valve apparatus, the combination with a valve casing, of ports adapted to be connected respectively with a source of fluid pressure supply and exhaust, communicating passages between said ports, a valve controlling the flow of fluid through one of said passages, a series of check valves pre venting a flow from the supply port to the exhaust port through the other passage, and operable at difl'erent pressures to permit a flow in the opposite direction.

6. In valve apparatus, the combination with a three-way valve comprising a pressure supply opening, a to and from opening and passages each communicating with said openings, of a valve piston controlling the flow of fluid through one of said passages, and a series of graduated check valves in the other passage permitting a flow of fluid through the passage in one direction only.

7. In valve apparatus, the combination with a three-way valve having an intake opening, an outlet opening, a to-and-troni opening andpassages communicating with said openings, of a valve piston movable into position to cut off the flow of fluid from the intake to the to-and-trom opening through one of said passages, and a plurality of check valves in another of said pas sages, preventing the flow of fluid therethrough from the intake to the to-and-trom opening but operable at different pressures to permit a flow in the opposite direction.

8. In valve apparatus, the combination with a three-wa3 valve having an intake opening, an outlet opening, a to-and-from opening and passages communicating with said openings, or" a valve piston movable into position to cut o'fit' the flow of fluid from the to-and-from opening to the outlet opening through one of said passages, and a series of graduated check valves in another of said passages preventing a flow of fluid therethrough from the to-and-from opening to the outlet opening, but permitting a flow in the opposite direction.

9. In valve apparatus, the combination with a three-way-valve having intake, outlet, and to-and-from openings, of means for controlling the normal flow of fluid in the valve, a valve chamber communicating with the to-andrtrom opening, a plurality of ports in the wall of the valve chamber communieating with the outlet opening, and check valves for said ports opening at different pressures toward the to-and-trom opening.

10. In valve mechanism, the comblnation of a valve easing, walls separating said oasing into a pressure chamber, an exhaust chamber and a to-and-from chamber, valve mechanism controlling the normal flow of fluid between said chambers, a series of ports in each of said walls, and graduated check valves controlling. said ports.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN s. MATTHEWS.

Witnesses Jorm F. RULE, W. H. BRADY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). G. 

